Our second book will come out in time for Mardi Gras.

Two days after Katrina hit New Orleans, I picked up my brother, a resident of the French Quarter, at Seatac Airport. He was carrying a bag of clothes, as if he had packed for a long weekend ("My only belongings," he said). The next night, over a couple of beers, I proposed a project to him: A book that would capture the spirit of New Orleans before the incompetents in D.C. bulldozed it. Remember, this was three days after Katrina, and bulldozing the city was very much on everyone's minds (Denis Hastert, anyone?)

Needless to say, he was shell-shocked, watching his home city turn into a hellhole on national TV and worrying about the fate of his friends. But he liked the idea. So did Craig. And Yuko. And David. Suddenly, the creative fires were stoked and Chin Music Press was on a mission again.

Over the next three weeks, we've been impressed and humbled as people from all over the country contacted us with offers to help. Poets living in tents, writers taking refuge with friends in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Houston, people who love the city from afar and even one dedicated CMP backer who is mulling offering us a low-interest loan to help cover writer fees and printing costs. People are passionate about this city, and we realized soon that this was becoming an important project.

As New Orleans is rebuilt, who will stand up for its quirks and eccentricities? Will public music in the square be seen as a public nuisance? Will the winos be tolerated? The spontaneous dancing and drinking? We've seen in recent years what happens when privileged country-club types are not kept in check. If they are left to rebuild New Orleans, we'll be left with this.

So, our book, title pending, is in the works. If anyone out there would like to contribute (stories or dollars), there's still time. And when the book goes on sale, check back with us, because we'll be raising money for certain Katrina-related charities over our site.